


Tell Her Something for Me...

by Ashley_vh



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Gen, Not Explicit Mentions of Torture, dealing with death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 06:07:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10893291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashley_vh/pseuds/Ashley_vh
Summary: One of the gems stepped towards him, her hair was short and poofed out into a mass of tight curls that ended at her chin, “This is Rose Quartz?”  She said, gesturing at him, “I imagined she’d be… bigger?”  She turned to her companion, showing the gem at the base of her neck, “More impressive, you know?”The other gem, this one with longer, straight hair and a gem on her right shoulder, moved beside the cell door with her friend, “I guess Earth just turns gems funny.”-Or-Steven Escapes Homeworld with some help and goes home.





	Tell Her Something for Me...

**Author's Note:**

> 5/13/17

The Topazes had picked him up as soon as the door shut and carried him to a tiny blue cell in the back of the ship, and he didn’t struggle.

He was quiet as Aquamarine bragged to herself about how happy her Diamond will be with her for capturing the infamous Rose Quartz.  But after a few seconds, Steven sat on the ground and stopped listening to her.  They trapped him behind the wall of bright blue electricity that he could get out of if he wanted.  But he didn’t. 

Topaz stomped off, easily fishing Lars out from where he ran and hid.  _It’s a shame that he wasn’t able to get off the ship._ Steven didn’t watch as the Topazes fused, silencing Lars’ yelling.  He simply sat in his cell, staring at the floor as they took him to Homeworld.

“Oh, just imagine how happy my Diamond will be!” Aquamarine said again to no one in particular.  She squealed in delight, “Oh, I can’t wait!  I’ll call her right now!”   She tapped a few buttons from her chair and within seconds, a hologram appeared in front of her.

“Diamond Control Room,” an almost-bored quiet voice answered.  Steven couldn’t quite see her, but he recognized that voice.  It was the pearl, the one who noticed his dad when Blue Diamond took him to the Zoo.

Aquamarine was positively beaming, but she didn’t get the chance to speak before the pearl said, “Ah, it’s you.  So your mission is _finally_ complete?” 

She seemed to deflate a little at that, “uh,” she said, “I-I didn’t get all the humans,” The hologram figure shifted, Aquamarine rushed to continue, “BUT, I have something better.”

“Something better than what you were ordered to get?”  Her voice was flat and quiet, yet intense, it made Aquamarine shrink a bit further.

“I caught Rose Quartz!  The very gem who shattered Pink Diamond!”

The figure shifted again, “Rose Quartz?” there was emotion in her voice then, surprise, and maybe… fear?  “Did you?”  she said, “Hm.  Report to the Diamonds immediately upon your return.”  Her voice was flat again.

Aquamarine had barely muttered an “Of course,” before the pearl disconnected the call.  But the dismissal didn’t faze Aquamarine at all.  She all but jumped out of her chair and floated above it; she flipped a bit and landed back in her seat, pressing buttons and going to Homeworld.

Steven didn’t have the chance to really feel anything about the choice he’d made before the ship was landing.  It was a short trip.  The light had dimmed and the ship had stilled as they gently landed, and Aquamarine practically squealed in delight as she ordered Topaz to stay put, to watch him while she reported to the Diamonds. 

And now Steven had nothing to do but wait.  To sit in this cell and wait for the Diamonds to do…

Do _what_?  He didn’t know what they’ll do to him because of what his mother did.  What his shattering will be like, what will happen.

But it doesn’t matter now.  Whatever they do, at least everyone back home would be safe.  Steven closed his eyes, almost relieved as he let out a steady breath.  This would be the end of it all, the end of what his mother started—

Topaz jolted a little in surprise half a second before Steven could hear the footsteps.  Marching stomps echoed into the ship as gems walked towards the ramp, and Steven looked towards the door Aquamarine disappeared through.  The sounds were heavy but there was no sharp echo that the Diamonds’ steps had had in the Zoo, it couldn’t be them.

A pair of quartz soldiers quickly marched up the ramp, tinted blue through the door of his cell making them look a weird kind of murky purple as they saluted the fused Topaz.   “Report to your Diamond immediately, leave the Lars in the transport cell,” one of them said in a hurried, almost worried voice. 

Before the quartz had even finished speaking, Topaz unfused and all but tossed Lars to the ground in the cell beside Steven’s.  He couldn’t see him, but he heard the grunt of pain at the landing before Topaz locked Lars inside.  Without a word, both Topazes marched out of the ship, side by side, leaving the gems by the door, staring at the cell Steven was in.

Lars shuffled around, “How are you getting us out of this one, Steven?” he whispered, his voice shaking.  “What’s your plan?  Steven?”

Steven frowned at the ground, but he said nothing.  There was no plan, there was no getting out of this one.

One of the gems stepped towards him, her hair was short and poofed out into a mass of tight curls that ended at her chin, “This is Rose Quartz?”  She said, gesturing at him, “I imagined she’d be… bigger?”  She turned to her companion, showing the gem at the base of her neck, “More impressive, you know?”

The other gem, this one with longer, straight hair and a gem on her right shoulder, moved beside the cell door with her friend, “I guess Earth just turns gems funny.” She looked down at Steven with confusion, “we can’t leave her here.  What do we do with her?  The Diamonds are still arguing—”

“Just,” she interrupted, looking down at where Steven sat on the floor, “We can just put her in the cells underground.”  She summoned her weapon: a long, wide sword that gleamed from the barrier between them, “And be careful,” she said.  “This quartz shattered a Diamond.”

With a nod, the straight haired gem approached the cell’s control panel, summoning her weapon, an axe, as she opened the door.  When the wall disappeared, Steven could see that the gems were brilliant red.

“Come with us,” the gem said, pointing her sword in the cell at him, “And don’t try anything funny.”

Steven raised his hands in the air, like people do in the movies Pearl doesn’t like him watching.  He slowly stood and stepped out of his cell. 

The curly haired one looked at him strangely, “Why are your hands like that?”

Steven blinked at her before lowering his hands, “It’s, uh, just something people do to show they’re unarmed.”

“And humans do that on Earth?”

He nodded.

“Huh,” she said, poking her sword at him to get him moving towards the door.  He went.  “Humans are so strange.”

“Uh, Steven?” Lars whispered, his voice shaking.  Steven stopped, but he didn’t look back, “What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry, Lars,” Steven said, not turning around.  There was nothing he could do to help him, the gems behind him shoved him forward again and he went.

“Steven?  Wait, don’t leave!”  But they were already walking down the ramp out of the ship.  Steven tried not to let the tears fall as they walked away from Lars’ yelling.  _Maybe he would like the Zoo, maybe the people there would think he was cool…_

The curly haired gem, _maybe he’ll call her Curly,_ rolled her eyes, “Humans talk too much.”  She looked down at him.  She seemed to be more at ease now that she saw him being compliant, “Do other human breeds talk as much?”

Steven blinked up at her for a second, taking a small breath, “Some are quieter than others, I guess.”

Curly snorted and said, “Shame we got stuck with that one then.”

The gems walked him out of the huge room filled with ships that ranged from small Ruby ships to huge ones the size of a house.  The walls were dark grey, and the low light made it feel like a cave.  _Where did the ships leave through?  Where’s the door?_

Steven said nothing for a moment as he looked around.  Curly and her friend looked a little shaken when they delivered their message to Topaz.  “What happened to Aquamarine?” he asked, looking up at the soldiers. 

Curly looked down at him, “She was poofed.” She scrunched her eyebrows together like he said something stupid, “Obviously.”

He stared at them in shock, “Why?!”

The gems looked each other in confusion as they walked.  She spoke like it was obvious, “Well, she didn’t follow orders.  She was sent for six humans, she only came back with one.”  She scoffed, “You’re probably the only reason she wasn’t shattered on sight.”

“Oh,” Steven said.  _She’d been so happy—_   The gems led him to the tall door that opened to a wide, bright white hallway.  One wall was made of glass, giving Steven his first _and last_ look at the Homeworld of the Gems.

At first glance, the world reminded him of Empire City.  Massive buildings, bigger than any skyscraper, spread as far as he could see, each one a different color so it looked like a rainbow of matte stone against the sky.  The sky was that eerie kind of grey that said it was night, but there were no stars, no moon, not even clouds he could point out.  Just empty grey sky.   It was a beautiful place in that empty sort of way.  There were no wandering people like in Empire City.  There was no music, no talking that he should have been able to hear.  It was empty and drab and lonely. 

The more he looked, the more it reminded him of those pristine towns in movies about robot apocalyptic centers of government where the evil overlords lived.  The more he thought about it, the more fitting that description was.

He hadn’t realized he stopped in front of the window until Curly poked him again.  “I know it’s been a while,” she said, “but get moving.”

She led them to a set of stairs that led to another white stone hall.  The floors gleamed, but unevenly, like it was polished by footsteps over lifetimes.  There were three tall white doors cut into the stone, but they were all shut.  That’s not where he was being taken.

They led him down more stairs, down a maze of hallways until the stone turned off-white and dull, and there were holes in the wall that led to plain, empty cells bigger than the small cell in the ship.  They stopped outside one of the cells and told him to get in.  And he did.  They pushed buttons on a panel until a wall of white light separated them.

After they shut him in, the gems, tinted pink through the door, looked down at him.  Curly shook her head before they turned away.  He could hear them whispering as they walked away, “I can’t believe that was really her…”

And then he was alone in the silence.

He expected it to be quicker.  To be taken from the ship, to the diamonds, to… to whatever came next.  He hadn’t realized he was shaking.  A small tremor ran through him, making his hands quake.  He wasn’t sure why.  He wasn’t particularly scared of...  Not particularly sad for himself.  He didn’t feel any doubt getting on the ship, he was ready.  This was the only way to save his family.

But he _was_ sad.  He was scared. 

He slumped to his knees on the floor like a puppet with his strings cut.  It was like he couldn’t breathe as tears stung his eyes.  His family looked so sad before the door closed behind him.  They yelled for him to come back, nearly begged.  But he didn’t.

He slid back against the wall and wrapped his arms around his knees.  Steven wondered what they were doing at that moment as tears fell down his face.  For a moment, he let himself think, to give in… for a moment.  He hoped they would just accept that he’s gone and go on doing what they always had.  _Hoped they wouldn’t blame themselves._   He wondered what would happen next. _Hoped it wouldn’t hurt._   He hoped his dad wouldn’t be too upset, he hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye.  _What did he last say to his dad?_   He hoped that Connie would keep on practicing with the sword and…

And something.

But there’s nothing he could do about it now, even if he wanted to change his mind.

Knowing them, they’re probably trying to build a spaceship out of scrap meep-morps from the barn.  Hopefully not.  But they’re not ones to give up.

He scrubbed the heel of his hand across his eyes and hid his face in the darkness he created with his arms.  And he waited. 

It could have been minutes or hours before he heard footsteps.  Quiet, light taps echoed quickly around the hallway, and he had assumed the gem was just far away and that made the footsteps sound so small.  But half a second after he heard the steps, a gem appeared.  “Rose Quartz—” she said, her voice quiet and low as she rushed to the door.  There was a light lilt to her voice, like she was happy to see Rose, but she stopped when he looked up at her.

Her blue skin looked even lighter, almost white, through the door, and her hair looked pale blue in front of her eyes.  Her hands were clasped in front of her gem as she frowned down at him.  “You look…” she seemed to study him intensely as she looked for the right word, “ _Different_.  Smaller.”

“Uh,” Steven said, expecting more gems to appear down the hall, but there were no other footsteps.  “Hi?” he said, staying curled up against the wall.

Her hands tensed in front of her, “You don’t recognize me.”

It wasn’t said like a question, but it still seemed like she was asking him for an explanation.  “Y-yes I do!” He said loudly, “You’re, uh.” _What should he call her?  What would his mother call her?_ “You’re Bluey?”  He hadn’t meant it to be a question, but his own uncertainty leaked into his words.

She didn’t react at all.  She stood as still as a statue, staring at him, it didn’t even look like she was breathing.  He couldn’t see her eyes, but he still felt like he was under a microscope, like he’s done something wrong and she’s waiting for him to fess up.  But he didn’t.

She tilted her head to the side a bit, frowning at him.  “You’re not Rose Quartz.” 

“Yes I am!” He hadn’t meant to yell it, but he did and she took a step back in surprise.  He jumped up and she still towered over him, “I have my mo— _My_ gem!” and he showed it to her, lifting his shirt off his belly, “And I have the shield!”  It appeared on his arm as easily as breathing, “I _am_ Rose Quartz!”

He was breathing heavy and his hands were still trembling, but she hadn’t moved.  Her face hadn’t changed in its slight frown with hair covering her eyes.  Maybe she was giving him that same look Pearl would when he was acting weird, one eyebrow raised and confused eyes, a slight frown—

“You’re not the same Rose Quartz.”  She said simply, completely sure of herself.  Her quiet voice was more mellow, less happy to see Rose and more disappointed he wasn’t her.

“ _Yes_ , I am!”  His hands shook harder.  He had to convince them he’s the real Rose Quartz.  If she can see through him so easily, what happens when the diamonds see him?  _They’ll go back to Earth, kidnap his friends, shatter his family_ —

“No, you’re not.”

“YES!”

She tilted her head again, pursing her lips and looking him up and down with a slight tilt of her head.  After a moment of silence only broken by his loud breath, she spoke again, “No.” 

Steven huffed, scratching a hand through his curly hair.  “Yes?”  He couldn’t even sound sure of himself now, how could he convince a diamond—

“Even someone like Rose Quartz couldn’t change this much in only six thousand years.”  Bluey said, “You’re _not_ her.”  She almost sounded angry with him, her quiet voice raised a little and she clenched her hands together again.  “Who are you?”

Steven looked at her with narrowed eyes, how could she be so sure?  Was she close with his mom?  Did she fight Homeworld with her?  Why would she be here on Homeworld if she did?

He moved to the door, looking back down the hall she came down, looking for other gems, but she clicked her tongue in disappointment, “If I were a gem who would let anyone tell the Diamonds whatever you’re about to tell me, I wouldn’t be here at all.”

His little huff of a laugh was involuntary, more nervous than happy, “Right…” he said, watching her for any sign of deception.  But there was only that slight frown and clasped hands.  “I’m Rose Quartz’s,” he hesitated but when she sighed in disappointment, he continued, “son.  I’m her son. Steven.”

Her mouth hung open a little in surprise.  “Her,” she said, confusion lacing her tone, “Her son?  You mean like human reproduction?”

“I think so?”

She just stared at him for a moment, seeming to decide what questions she wanted to ask first.  “Where is she?”

“Uh, gone.” He said, “She gave up her physical form to have me.” 

“Oh… Why are you here then?” she said, “You didn’t shatter Pink Diamond, and you’ll be shattered for saying you did.”

“I had to,” he said, “it was the only way to protect my family.”

Her smile barely changed her face, but he could still see it.  “Who is your family?”  She asked, there was something in her voice, something he couldn’t name.  Hope, maybe? 

“Uh, well there’s my dad, and Garnet, and Pearl, and Amethyst, and—“

She let out a breath like she’d been holding it too long.  She unclasped her hands and held up her hand, silencing him.  After a second of silence, she clasped her hands again, “I can see her in you.”

A small laugh escaped him again as he blushed a little, “Thanks, I guess.”

Bluey smiled still, and she moved to the panel beside his cell door, “You should have told me sooner instead of wasting our time, though.”  She touched the screen, “I’m here to help you escape.”

“NO!” He yelled again as the door and her smile vanished.  He backed up until his back hit the wall.  “No, no, I need to do this!”

She looked at him for a second before pulling a small, dark blue bubble the size her palm from her gem.  She strode into the cell beside him with light footsteps and popped the bubble, scattering pieces of something all over the floor. 

It took a moment to grasp what he was looking at, and when he realized, his hand muffled the gasp as he backed away towards the door.  Bluey carefully changed the position of some of the pink glittering shards, arranging them until it looked like someone picked up a rose quartz gem from the floor and smashed it. 

“You don’t need to do anything for the Diamonds to get their shattered rose quartz,” She said, stooping down to turn a shard a bit and stood again, satisfied with the arrangement.  “Besides do as I say, that is.”

Steven looked down at the shards of a rose quartz gem scattered where he had been standing.  “Is that—” his words came out as a whisper, small and shaky as he looked at the sharp bits of gem glittered from the floor.  “Where did you get those?”

“She was shattered during the war.” Her voice was quiet, “She would be honored to save her general.”  She looked from the shards to him, “Or, her son, I suppose.”  She turned back to the shards on the floor and clasped her hands in front of her gem again.  She bowed low, her hair dangling forward to show her furrowed eyebrows and closed eyes, slightly glittering with tears.

She hung there a moment before she stood up again, her hand quickly wiping away the tears.  “Do what I do,” she said, her voice quiet and hollow as she turned to him, “Don’t think about it too hard.”  Without another word, she turned and walked out of the cell, turning into the hall and away from the direction Steven was led in.

Steven looked back at the shards on the floor.  Tears welled in his eyes, _who was she?  What did she do?  How did she end up shattered in a bubble_?

“Well?”  Bluey said from the hall, startling him from his thoughts, “do you want to go home or not?” 

He looked from the shards to her, standing in the doorway impatiently.  After a second, he turned back to the shards.  He bowed like she did, mimicking her as best he could.  It felt wrong, stilted and awkward, but he did it anyway.  “Thank you,” he whispered, “and I’m sorry for… whatever happened to you.”

When he turned back to Bluey standing in the doorway, she was smiling, a little wider than before.  “All the best things,” she told him, and she turned, leading him down the hall.

Steven rushed to follow her out of the cell.  She took quick strides, making him jog to keep up with her.  “Did you know my mom?” he whispered, worried about every noise he made to alert the Homeworld Gems.

“Yes.” She said simply. “Didn’t you?”

He frowned, “No.”

She looked over her shoulder, her mouth tilted down.  After a second of looking at him, she turned ahead and spoke, “She was brash, idealistic, short-sighted, overly-emotional, impulsive,” She looked at him again, “But she was also kind, to a fault.  She saw the best in all of us.”  The small smile was back, “She was very good at knowing what a gem wanted.  What they _needed_.  Freedom.  A chance.  Purpose.  Love.  All four.”  She sighed, almost laughing a little, “She was flawed.  But good, Steven.  Profoundly so.  A hero.”  She stopped, turning to face him, “and I don’t know you.  But I can see her in you.  You’re good for Earth, and the Crystal Gems.”

And just like that, she turned back to walking away from him.  He blinked the tears out of his eyes and followed her.  “Did you fight in the war too?”  Steven asked.  She had to have fought with her to know so much, but why would she be here?

Bluey scoffed a laugh, “Of course not.  I was a spy for Rose Quartz and her pearl.”

“You were a spy?” He asked, “Why are you here then?  Why did you stay?”  Steven’s questions came faster than he could ask them.  He hadn’t met a spy before, he wanted to know everything—

“You ask a lot of questions.”  She said, her voice sharp, “Just like her.”  There was no smile on her face then, no soft bit of fondness in her voice, her mouth was twisted in something almost like anger.

So he stopped asking, she didn’t seem to want to answer. 

At the end of one long hallway, he whispered, “Where are we going?”

“There’s a ship that the Diamonds won’t miss,” she said, not bothering to lower her voice.  “You’ll get on it, and you’ll fly out of here.”

He said nothing for a moment, simply following her though the winding path she took him on.  He didn’t know how to fly a spaceship, but he didn’t say that.  Bluey strode up stairs and past doors and empty halls that got increasingly more ornate and decorated as they went. 

When they turned a corner to a long hallway the length of the boardwalk at least, a pair of green skinned gems stood tall in front of the only door in the middle of it.  Steven skidded to a stop, grabbing onto the hem of Bluey’s skirt, trying to pull her back into the shadows as his bubble appeared around them.

Her step faltered, stopping before she smashed into the pink wall and the gems at the door stared in amazement.  She reached out to touch the bubble around them and turned to him, looking at the hand on her gauzy dress until he removed it.  “Relax.  They won’t stop us.” She said, “and be quiet.” 

Steven hesitated, and the gems had looked at them, big smiles lighting up their faces.  As quickly and as quietly as he could, he waved away the bubble and followed her when she started moving again as if they hadn’t stopped, but faster then, almost jogging.  About halfway to the door, he heard the yelling.

“We’re not monsters, Blue!  We need to simply shatter her and get it over with!” A booming voice, Yellow Diamond, said, echoing through the hall. 

“That’s not enough, Yellow!  We need something grander, she deserves nothing less!”  Blue said, louder than Yellow.  They jogged past the door, the big gems waving to them as they passed, winking at Bluey.  But Steven could still hear what Blue Diamond was saying.

Connie had told him about the drawn thing humans used to do in medieval times to kill each other.  He’d been horrified humans could do things like that to each other, to their own kind.  But the things she was suggesting, so loudly, proud of her imagination…

“Do what I do,” Bluey whispered, “Don’t think about it too hard.” 

He tried to block out what they were saying as they quickly walked.  He moved closer to Bluey.

When they left the long, grand hallway and started crossing back and forth out of another maze of hallways, the stone started to change back to the off-white color of the dungeons.

“When I tell her to,” Bluey said, “one of the guards will alert the Diamonds that they found you shattered in your cell, someone must have avenged Pink Diamond before they could.”  She glanced back at him, “They’ll have their vengeance.  And Earth, and its protectors, will have their Rose Quartz.”  Her voice turned warm again, soft like it was when she talks about his mom.

Steven could see the wide set of doors that lead to large room full of ships.  He blurted out the question he’d wanted to ask since leaving the cell.  “Why?” he asked, “Why are you doing this?”

“The Earth needs Rose Quartz.  And…” She slowed down, seeming to decide what she wanted to say as they entered the cave full of spaceships.  “When,” she whispered, her voice trembling a little, “When I saw _her_ at the Zoo, I was so relieved.”  Her shoulders hunched a little, her hands folded in front of her mouth like she’s trapping in her shudders.  “It was all I could do not to cry right there when I saw her safe.  I was so worried for six thousand years, seeing her alive—” her breath rushed out in a huff.

“Her?” Steven asked, matching her slower pace to keep stay beside her as they walked into the sea of spaceships, “Her who?”

Bluey looked down at him, twisting her fingers together.  She sighed, _“Pink._   I’m doing this for her.”

Steven frowned in confusion, but didn’t get the chance to ask.

“It doesn’t matter now,” she said, wiping her eyes as she walked past a light blue quartz guard with long white hair, “The Diamonds shouldn’t bother you again, if you _all_ are quiet.”  She led him to a ship at the far end of the area.  She turned to the guard, “Open the doors, please.” 

The gem rushed towards a panel by the door, pressing buttons as Bluey gestured to the ship for him to get on it.  A part of the wall opened, barely making the cave-like area any brighter as it showed off the dull grey sky.

“Wait!” Steven said, “You could come with me!  Come to Earth, if that’s where ‘Pink’ is!”

Bluey smiled, not a happy smile.  More like the smile you give when you have the same conversation over and over with someone who wants to help you when you don’t want the help.  “If you were really Rose Quartz,” she said, putting a hand on his shoulder, “you would know that I can’t.”

“Why not?!  The Diamonds won’t know where you went, it’s safe on Earth—”

“Until a gem visits to kidnap human varieties?  Or tries to make the Cluster emerge?”  Bluey asked, pushing him up the ramp of the small pale pink ship, “Besides” she said, “Some gems just aren’t built for rebellion.”

“But this _is_ rebellion!”  Steven said, “So is spying!”

She smiled again, “You are just like her and—”  She shook her head, “You’re running out of time to escape unnoticed.” She said, “Leave now.”

Steven frowned at her before he turned into the ship.  “Wait!”  He said, turning back, “What about Lars?” 

Bluey tilted her head, “Lars?  What’s Lars?”

The blue guard spoke up from the end of the ramp, “I think Lars is her human!  I already put it on the ship.”  She scratched the back of her head, “it was whining a lot, it was both annoying and distracting and loud, so I _may_ have gagged it.” 

Bluey nodded, “Very good, you did well,” she said, making the guard beam up at her.  She turned to Steven, “Then everything is taken care of.  Now go, before it’s too late.”

Steven nodded but hesitated.  After a second, Steven lurched forward, throwing his arms around Bluey’s waist.  She tensed and raised her hands up away from him, “Thank you,” he said, “for saving me.”

After a moment of silence, she patted his hair, “You’re welcome,” she said. 

When Steven let go of her, she turned and walked down the ramp.  Before she reached the end of it though, she turned back.  “Ah,” she said, pursing her lips, “when you see Pink, will you tell her something for me?”

“Of course.”  He said automatically.  He’d find Pink for Bluey.

Bluey folded her hands in front of her mouth again, “Tell her I said,” she took a deep breath, “Tell her I said I’m glad she’s okay.”  Before he could respond, she turned and walked down the ramp.

“I will!”  Steven hollered after her, “I’ll tell her what you said.”

Bluey smiled over her shoulder, “Thank you,” she said, rushing past the guard and into the maze of hallways.

He watched her vanish for a moment too long before the guard spoke, “You better go; she’s going to alert the Diamonds.”

Steven nodded and ran into the ship.  The insides were pale pink and white, like his mom’s room, and the consoles looked like the ones in the Ruby ship.

“mMMmm!”

Steven jumped at the noise behind the chair beside the door.  His shield appeared before he could help it.  Lars glared up at him with a clump of wire stuffed in his mouth and his wrists and ankles tied to the chair beside him.  Steven let out a relieved breath and made his shield go away. 

“Sorry, Lars,” he said, rushing to the main panel, “getting out of here is more important at the moment.”

He looked at the controls on the ship, pressing random buttons that he would have hit on the Ruby ship without understanding what he was doing.  He couldn’t understand the symbols displayed, but he acted on instinct, hoping flying this ship is like summoning his bubble. 

The ship jerked, the ramp zooming closed too quickly and loudly to be good, but he kept pressing buttons until the ship lurched up and zipped out of the tower. 

Steven flew the ship over buildings, up into the atmosphere of the planet, and he looked down. 

On Earth, cities ended eventually, shifted to suburbs or farm land for people to grow food, but it seemed massive rainbow towers soared all across the planet ebbing out of the building taller and wider than anything he’d seen before, as far as he could see.  _Was the whole planet like this?  Empty and full of matte color like buckets of old dried paint?_

He shook himself out of his thoughts and continued fiddling with the panel.  He needed to go fast, like he did on the way to the Zoo, like they did on the way here. 

After a few more buttons, the ship lurched again, and the city disappeared behind bright streaks of white light.  A display popped up on the panel in front of him and it seemed like they were getting closer to Earth.  It felt like this ride was easier than the one to the Zoo… maybe the Homeworld gems set the controls to Quartz? 

Lars kept yelling but Steven ignored him for the moment.  He had to focus in case anything bad happened like crashing into Earth or something.  After a few moments of the bright light streaking past the window, the ship jerked again, sending him reeling towards the control panel.  He threw his hands up, barely catching himself before smacking his face on the panel.

He glanced back at where Lars was tied.  He was pressed against the base of the chair a little awkwardly, but he seemed fine, so Steven didn’t worry.  When he looked back out the window, his breath caught in his throat.  The Earth hung in space, looking as small as the moon if you looked at it from the beach at home. 

His family was down there, maybe looking up to the sky for his ship.  They were safe.  When he landed, he would be safe too.

Steven slumped back against the chair as all the air left his lungs in almost impossible, disbelieving laughs.  His limbs felt heavy, his head ached, and he could barely hold his head up like he’d gone a week without sleeping.  He propped his head on his hand, leaning into the chair and watching Earth get closer and closer, bigger and bigger.

He’d been so ready to give himself up for this planet.  For his friends.  For his family.  And he would have.  The Diamonds would have killed him and he would have been completely fine with it, barely afraid at all.  He would have died, and he almost did.  Nothing like a near-death experience to drain the energy out of a person.

But who was ‘Pink’?  There were no other gems on Earth.  It had to be one of his family…  Garnet wasn’t pink, neither was Amethyst.  Pearl wasn’t really pink, but she’s the only one Bluey could have seen at the Zoo… and Bluey did mention “Rose Quartz and her pearl.”  Did she mean Pearl pearl?  Did Pearl know Bluey in the war? 

Hopefully they wouldn’t be too angry with him for what he did.  He’ll have a lot of questions when he gets home—

Sudden music that filled the ship, and Steven jumped in surprise.  His phone beeped, over and over with text messages. 

They were all from Connie.   She had tried call him first, leaving him with 24 missed calls.  But when he didn’t answer, she must have switched to texts, they came flooding in as he got closer to Earth, one after another.

_Steven!  Are you ok?_

_That’s kind of a dumb question, I know…_

_?_

_Steven?_

_Answer your phone!_

_Please!_

_Your dad’s worried._

_Steven_

_Steven_

_Steven_

_Steven_

_Steven_

_Steven? …_

_I’m sure you’ll be back any minute.  I’ll wait for you at the cliff where you hid LAST time you were kidnapped by Homeworld gems haha._

_… ?_

_Steven you cant be serious?!!_

_Are you seriously trying this idiotic suicide mission?!_

_There’s no Way the diamonds will think you’re your mom!  You have to come back!_

_Please_

_They’re going to kill you!_

_We need you to come back_

_Earth needs you!_

_I need you to come back_

_Please_

_…_

Steven read her texts through blurry, tearful eyes.  He sat his phone on the arm rest of the chair and scrubbed at his eyes and watched the Earth get bigger.  He wanted to see her again, apologize for making her so upset, tell her—

His phone beeped again as he got her last message, and his face got hot all of the sudden.

_I love you._

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Guys, I’m using this fic to break my like 2 year writing Hiatus, so hopefully you’ll see many more things from me in the coming months since I have about 6 fics that are plotted out lol. Thank you to my girl Scotty for being my enabler.   
> I hope you like the story, leave me a comment if you did. I'm open to prompts too, leave them in the comments if you want <3
> 
> Coming soon: The Epilogue. Steven Universe goes home.


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